County approves four bond proposals for $848 million

Published 10:43 am, Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Harris County Commissioners Court voted Tuesday to put four bonds totalling $848 million on the November ballot, marking the first time a county bond referendum has been before voters since the Astrodome plan was rejected in 2013.

The county's engineer and budget manager hammered out the specifics last week: $700 million bond for roads and bridges, $60 million for parks, $24 million to improve the animal control facility and $64 million for flood control improvements.

The need for such measures stems from tremendous population growth in unincorporated parts of Harris County, John Blount, the county engineer, wrote in a July 21 letter introducing the four-part proposal to the commissioners. The county's population has grown 75 percent between 2000 and 2014, according Blount.

Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said bonds allow civic leaders flexibility in how they distribute funds. If voters approve the bonds, it could be years before the money is all spent or, he said, if there is a calamity the county might spend it immediately.